WOVTE Mini Bike Pump with Pressure Gauge

This is a pretty nice bike pump. I have a specialized mini bike pump that is smaller but that one is also a royal pain to use.

This one is larger which means a larger air chamber so you can pump more air into the tires. In addition, it has an air pressure gauge and comes with plastic bracket to attach it to your bicycle via the pairs of bottle holder mount screws you get on most bike frames. The mount uses both a plastic clip and an integrated Velcro strap that threads around a buckle which also stops the Velcro strap separating from the bracket and getting lost in the dark.

This bike pump comes with a hose with a clip attached so it snaps securely to the pump body when not in use. It also has a simple screw-on adapter that twists onto the tire valve has a nice thin footprint so it won’t get caught on anything.

Install

I mounted mine on the vertical pillar above the crank. The pump comes with Philips machine screws but I decided to use the hex head ones that came with the bike. It fits securely but sticks out to one side of the frame. Where I located it near pedals you are left with a one-inch clearance which is fine so long as you don’t wear loose, baggy pants or strap them to your ankles if you do.

In Use

I deflated the front tire all the way down on my trek hybrid bike and tested the pump. Screwing on the valve adapter is easy. The collar at the top is knurled for a good grip even if you have cold, wet fingers and the connection is secure with no leaking. The length of tube between the adapter and the pump body is long enough and hinged where it enters the pump. This allows you to find a comfortable position to pump from.

The pump isn’t the smallest but this ended up being a good thing. I have fairly large hands and the pump was just the right size. Since it’s a cylinder, it is a bit hard to initially find a grip especially on the top which you push the pump into. This is partly because centered in the top of the pump is a red button. It’s recessed but when you’re pumping vigorously it’s easy to get your thumb on it. This red button is a slow release button that you use to let out a little air from the tire for final pressure adjustment. The other thing is that the air inlet for the pump is at the base of the handle, two slots on opposite sides just above the bottom edge. With large hands like mine you can easily cover the slots preventing air entering the pump. It’s obvious when you’re doing it because the pump basically brakes and has back pressure from the air inside the tire. Once you’re familiar with it it’s easy enough to work around.

I like my tires pumped to quite high pressure. This pump goes way beyond what I need it to, I pumped to 80psi no problem. That wasn’t even half the pressure the gauge registers.

I tested the gauge to my large floor pump and it matched. There was no leaking at the valve adapter, hose connection or gauge and despite pumping vigorously there was no excessive heat or air leakage like you might get on an inferior pump.

The only negative thing I can think of is that in the wet it might be slippery because it has a smooth surface with a satin finish and is thus potentially hard to grip. It would be nice to have some kind of stop to prevent the chance of your hand sliding up against the top of the pump.

Conclusion

This is a really nice, fairly compact pump that doesn’t weigh a lot and has mounting hardware to fit most bikes. It works pretty quickly for its size with no leaks anywhere so it’s pretty efficient. The pressure gauge is accurate compared to my floor standing pump and the pump though compact is of a size that larger hands can operate it without obstructing the airflow. However, some care has to be taken when pushing up so that your hand doesn’t slip and rub against the overlapping top half of the pump that slides over the cylinder and could graze your hands.

So a really nice pump that is much better than the one I usually take with me for emergencies which is too small and impossible to pump up to normal operating pressure. This pump has no problem working up to the 70 – 90 psi range.